This is a historical or geneological question: at what point was point #7 of the Eightfold Path first translated as "mindfulness" and not some other term (I mean first documented instance)? At what point did "mindfulness" become the most common English word to use in such translations? It seems to me that other words had been used as recently as the mid-20th century, but by the early 1970s, mindfulness was the industry standard.

Any guidance from those who are knowledgeable in the history of such translations will be warmly welcomed. Thank you!

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Jikan wrote:This is a historical or geneological question: at what point was point #7 of the Eightfold Path first translated as "mindfulness" and not some other term (I mean first documented instance)? At what point did "mindfulness" become the most common English word to use in such translations? It seems to me that other words had been used as recently as the mid-20th century, but by the early 1970s, mindfulness was the industry standard.

Any guidance from those who are knowledgeable in the history of such translations will be warmly welcomed. Thank you!

mindful (adj.) Look up mindful at Dictionary.commid-14c., from mind (n.) + -ful. Related: Mindfully; mindfulness. Old English myndful meant "of good memory." Old English also had myndig (adj.) "mindful, recollecting; thoughtful," which if it had lived might have yielded a modern *mindy.

The book The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh was originally published in 1975 according to Wikipedia. Another popular title from around the same time was Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana. I think they were both very influential texts in the establishment of 'mindfulness' as an approach to Buddhist meditation especially for lay practitioners.

Learn to do good, refrain from evil, purify the mind ~ this is the teaching of the Buddhas

Jon Kabat-Zin who pathologised TNH's Mindfulness approach first did so in his 1990 magnum opus ' Full Catastrophe Living'.Kabat- Zin's MBSR - Mindfulness Based Stress Relief and later MBCT Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy have, to some extent permeated to affect some 'Buddish' praxes.'Very popular sideline of some Triratna's ( for example) is ' Mindfulness Coaching'.Hence 'Mindfulness' has come to be a rather slippery concept, somewhat dependant on who is using it and for what purpose.

As has been pointed out by two posters already, use of "mindfulness" as a translation of "sati" goes back to the earliest translations of the Pali Canon, back in the mid to late 1800s. This is easily verified from the links given above and and a quick scan through translations published over the past 130 years.

The escalation of "mindfulness" to the main focus of a practice is a different, much more modern, issue.

I prefer to think of it as awareness to be honest. Some Tibetans use the word memory instead don't they? All three seem to work well, but I find it interesting that I haven't seen awareness used much. Maybe because mindful makes people think of remembering more? Interesting anyway. I also like the fact that if you change one letter of aware you have awake, seems to fit well.

Rupert Gethin discusses this issue in this paper, "On Some Definitions of Mindfulness".

"And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting oneself one protects others? By the pursuit, development, and cultivation of the four establishments of mindfulness. It is in such a way that by protecting oneself one protects others.

"And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting others one protects oneself? By patience, harmlessness, goodwill, and sympathy. It is in such a way that by protecting others one protects oneself.- Sedaka Sutta [SN 47.19]

"For the Buddhist tradition and for MBSR and MBCT, ‘mindfulness’ is part of a set of practices, and practices can have particular effects whatever our preconceived ideas and theories about them. That is, in its application in a clinical context, further aspects of mindfulness may well manifest and be relevant."

I prefer to think of it as awareness to be honest. Some Tibetans use the word memory instead don't they? All three seem to work well, but I find it interesting that I haven't seen awareness used much. Maybe because mindful makes people think of remembering more? Interesting anyway. I also like the fact that if you change one letter of aware you have awake, seems to fit well.

I prefer to think of it as awareness to be honest. Some Tibetans use the word memory instead don't they? All three seem to work well, but I find it interesting that I haven't seen awareness used much. Maybe because mindful makes people think of remembering more? Interesting anyway. I also like the fact that if you change one letter of aware you have awake, seems to fit well.

Sati/smṛti means remember, rather than being aware.

'aware' would probably be sampajañña, though in some contexts sati conveys this as well.

I think both are part of basic satipatthana instructions.

"And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting oneself one protects others? By the pursuit, development, and cultivation of the four establishments of mindfulness. It is in such a way that by protecting oneself one protects others.

"And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting others one protects oneself? By patience, harmlessness, goodwill, and sympathy. It is in such a way that by protecting others one protects oneself.- Sedaka Sutta [SN 47.19]

I prefer to think of it as awareness to be honest. Some Tibetans use the word memory instead don't they? All three seem to work well, but I find it interesting that I haven't seen awareness used much. Maybe because mindful makes people think of remembering more? Interesting anyway. I also like the fact that if you change one letter of aware you have awake, seems to fit well.

Sati/smṛti means remember, rather than being aware.

'aware' would probably be sampajañña, though in some contexts sati conveys this as well.

I prefer to think of it as awareness to be honest. Some Tibetans use the word memory instead don't they? All three seem to work well, but I find it interesting that I haven't seen awareness used much. Maybe because mindful makes people think of remembering more? Interesting anyway. I also like the fact that if you change one letter of aware you have awake, seems to fit well.

Sati/smṛti means remember, rather than being aware.

'aware' would probably be sampajañña, though in some contexts sati conveys this as well.